Scientists have now recorded a shark producing a short, sharp underwater click—but only in one species and under handling conditions. The rig, or spotted estuary smoothhound (Mustelus lenticulatus), may make the sound by snapping its flattened teeth, although researchers have not proved the mechanism or shown that the clicks are communication.
Scientists have now recorded a shark producing a short, sharp underwater click—but only in one species and under handling conditions. The shark was the rig, or spotted estuary smoothhound (Mustelus lenticulatus), a New Zealand smoothhound. Researchers think the sound may come from the shark snapping its flattened teeth together, but they have not proved that mechanism or shown that the clicks are a form of communication.
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What does a shark sound like?
In the 2025 study, the rig produced brief, broadband clicks. A useful description is a fast, dry underwater snap—not a roar, bark, growl, song, or whale-like vocalization.
The recorded sounds had a mean duration of about 48 milliseconds. Most of their acoustic energy fell between 2.4 and 18.5 kilohertz, with a mean peak frequency near 9.6 kilohertz. Those measurements describe the signal recorded by scientific equipment; they do not mean that a person standing at the ocean’s surface would hear a shark clicking clearly.
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Which shark made the clicks?
The animal was the rig, Mustelus lenticulatus. It is a smoothhound shark found in waters around New Zealand. The 2025 research is significant because it documented the first confirmed case of a shark actively producing a sound.
That wording matters. Scientists had previously recorded sounds associated with sharks swimming, feeding, collisions, and other physical activity. The newer finding was different: a shark appeared to produce the sound itself during the experiment rather than merely generating incidental noise through movement or contact with another object.
How might a shark make a clicking sound?
The researchers proposed that the rig’s flattened, pavement-like teeth may snap together forcefully as the mouth closes rapidly. That movement could create the sharp acoustic pulse detected by the hydrophones.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor now, tooth snapping is a likely explanation, not a demonstrated fact. The study did not establish beyond doubt that the teeth were the source of every click. Additional experiments would need to connect the sound precisely to jaw movement and rule out other mechanical sources.
Why were the sharks clicking?
The clicks were recorded while the rig sharks were being held and handled underwater. The researchers considered disturbance or distress a possible explanation. However, the experiment could not determine what the sounds meant.
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The clicks might be:
- a mechanical byproduct of a rapid jaw movement;
- part of a startle or defensive response;
- a sound associated with distress; or
- an intentional signal to another animal.
The final possibility remains unproven. There is currently no evidence that rig sharks routinely use these clicks to “talk” to one another, warn nearby sharks, attract mates, or coordinate behavior. Researchers still need recordings from undisturbed sharks in natural settings, including during predator encounters, attacks, and interactions with other sharks.
Does this mean all sharks make noises?
No. The finding should not be generalized to every shark species. The experiment focused on rig sharks, and three dusky smoothhounds tested in a related handling experiment did not produce sounds.
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That difference could reflect species-specific behavior, differences in the animals’ captivity history, or some other factor. It is also possible that other sharks make sounds in circumstances that have not yet been recorded. At present, the evidence supports a narrow conclusion: rig sharks can produce these clicks under at least some handling conditions.
Can sharks hear the clicks?
Sharks are well established as underwater listeners. They are especially sensitive to low-frequency sounds, generally below about 1,000 hertz. Those frequencies can be produced by natural events and by animals moving or splashing in the water. Hearing may help a shark detect and locate potential prey.
Sharks also have a lateral-line system that detects nearby vibrations and water movement. That is different from hearing, although both senses help sharks monitor what is happening around them.
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The rig’s clicks create an important complication: most of the recorded energy was above 2.4 kilohertz, while the species’ reported upper hearing limit is around 800 hertz. The initial impulse did contain some lower-frequency energy, but the mismatch makes it uncertain whether the clicks are designed to be heard by other rig sharks. A sound can be biologically produced without functioning as a communication signal.
How do scientists record shark sounds?
Researchers use hydrophones, which are underwater devices that detect pressure changes and convert them into electrical signals for recording and analysis. Unlike an ordinary microphone designed for air, a hydrophone is built to operate in water. Multiple hydrophones can also be arranged in an array to help estimate where a sound came from.
After recording, scientists can examine the waveform, frequency spectrum, duration, and time-frequency pattern of a sound. That is how a very brief click can be described quantitatively rather than only by comparison with a familiar noise.
Why the tank setting matters
The recordings were made in a tank, and tanks can alter underwater sound. Reflections from the walls, reverberation, resonance, and the loss or distortion of low-frequency signals may change what a hydrophone detects. The recorded signal may therefore not be identical to the sound a rig would produce in the open ocean.
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The researchers recommended future tests in an unbounded medium, where sound can travel without nearby tank walls. They also recommended measuring particle acceleration—the motion of water particles caused by a sound wave—as well as pressure. That distinction is important because sharks respond to acoustic motion in water, not simply to sound pressure in the way a human microphone does.
What this discovery does—and does not—show
| Supported by the evidence | Not yet established |
|---|---|
| Rig sharks produced brief underwater clicks during handling. | All shark species can make the same sound. |
| The clicks were broadband pulses, averaging about 48 milliseconds. | Sharks deliberately click to communicate. |
| Forceful snapping of the rig’s flattened teeth is a proposed mechanism. | The teeth are definitively proven to be the source. |
| Disturbance or distress may have triggered the behavior. | The clicks have a known alarm, defensive, or social meaning. |
| Hydrophones can detect and analyze underwater acoustic signals. | A person at the surface would normally hear the sound clearly. |
Where to learn more about sharks
The acoustic study answers a narrow question; it is not a general identification guide. Readers who want broader information about shark species, anatomy, ecology, and conservation may find A Pocket Guide to Sharks of the World, Second Edition, a useful reference. It was published by Princeton University Press in 2021. It should be treated as a general shark field guide, not as a substitute for the 2025 research paper or as evidence that every shark produces sound.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What scientists need to find out next
The next step is to determine whether rig sharks click outside a handling situation. Recordings of free-swimming animals could show whether the sound occurs during ordinary movement, feeding, courtship, conflict, or predator avoidance. Controlled behavioral experiments could then test whether nearby sharks respond to the clicks.
Researchers also need to compare more species and link each sound to a precise movement of the jaws, teeth, or body. Until those studies are complete, the most accurate description is also the most interesting one: a rig shark has been recorded making a short, sharp click, but scientists are still working out whether it is a signal, a stress response, or simply the sound of a jaw snapping shut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sound does a shark make?
Scientists recorded rig sharks, or spotted estuary smoothhounds (Mustelus lenticulatus), producing brief underwater clicks during handling. The sound was not a song or roar; it was a sharp, broadband pulse.
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Do all sharks make noises?
No. The evidence currently concerns one species, the rig shark, and three dusky smoothhounds in a related experiment did not make sounds. More species and natural observations are needed.
Do sharks click their teeth to communicate?
Not yet. Researchers proposed that the clicks may come from forceful snapping of the rig’s flattened teeth, but they have not conclusively demonstrated the mechanism.
How do researchers hear shark sounds?
Scientists use hydrophones, underwater sensors that detect pressure changes and convert them into electrical signals. The recordings can then be analyzed by duration, frequency, waveform, and other properties.
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Bottom line: Rig sharks have been recorded producing brief underwater clicks, probably by snapping their flattened teeth. The discovery applies to one species under handling conditions and does not yet prove that sharks use clicks to communicate—or that all sharks make sounds.
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